The speed of your broadband (always-on, high-capacity, wide-bandwidth) internet connection has never been more critical. It's the pipe that connects your computers, tablets, handhelds, entertainment systems, and home automation tools to the outside world—and to each other.
Your connection must handle content that is critical for work, play, and keeping in touch. It has to back your modern-day communications, from simple texts up to voice calls and video conferencing. And don't forget video games: Without the internet, your gaming would be just lonely, single-player action.
Internet service providers (ISPs), the companies that bring high-speed broadband connections to your doorstep, have increased speeds in the last few years. The FCC redefined broadband in 2015 to mean an always-on connection with a minimum download speed of 25Mbps and upload speed of 3Mbps (up from 4Mbps down and 1Mbps up).
Some want the FCC to move the definition again, up to 100Mbps. Even the watchdog US Government Accountability Office says the numbers need an update. In the past, senators pushed back on this, happy to see lower speeds qualify as broadband—mostly because it makes the country look bad to have so many households that don't have internet up to the minimum standard.
Competition would help even more. Local ISPs (and unique players like Google Fiber and Starlink) have pushed some big-name companies like Comcast to raise speeds while keeping costs affordable. There are entire cities now that claim gigabit internet status—ISPs in those places, frequently municipally owned or a utility company, offer connections of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) or more. That's 1,000 times better than 1Mbps speed, and 40 times what the FCC defines as broadband. Some locations are hitting 20 gigabits.
ISPs are making increases mostly via fiber-optic lines, plus increased speeds via cable connections. In fact, with the DOCSIS standard that most cable companies use on their equipment, it's entirely possible to take speeds as high as 10Gbps downstream. While that speed is popping up in some places, expect to pay more for it.
Still, the average speeds in the US are not even close to the averages seen in many other nations. We typically fall well behind.
Plus, just because a big-name ISP or even a tiny local provider says you're getting a certain level of throughput, can you trust that you're getting what you pay for?
Every year, PCMag examines the Fastest ISPs in the US and Canada with data provided by our readers. To measure it, use our PCMag Speed Test. Put your connection to the test right now—click GO. Visit as often as you like. Share it with friends. The more, the merrier. (Turn off your VPN and any streaming activity on your local network for the most accurate results.)
The data we gather on the quality of your connection also helps us determine the Best Gaming ISPs.
So what are you waiting for? Take the PCMag Speed Test! Get the information you need, and provide us with the data to help your fellow PCMag readers in the future.